Subaru's towing specifications make absolutely no sense!!

[Tony M]

I was reading about weight distribution hitches. Would using one of these be beneficial, towing a 13 footer with a 4 cylinder Forester, standard transmission, 175 lb. tongue weight, or is it unnecessary for my application? Also, in watching a video on this product it was stated that in some applications the battery and gas tank(s) may need to be relocated in order to hook up the bars. Does anyone have experience with weight distribution hitches? Tony

[honda03842]

You shouldn't need WD with a Scamp 13. Our son tows his with a 4 cylinder Accord. He has dual batteries on the hitch.

We tow a Scamp 16 without WD.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[Tony M]

Thanks for the information Norm! Although I do pull a trailer with a motorcycle on it, that weight is only about 1,000 lbs. and well within my vehicles tow capacity so I've never given it a second thought. Pulling a heavier camper will be a new experience for us, so it is good to know of your experience towing with a 4 cylinder vehicle. Tony

[Carl V]

Originally Posted by Tony M

Would using one of these be beneficial, towing a 13 footer with a 4 cylinder Forester, standard transmission, 175 lb. tongue weight, or is it unnecessary for my application?

Most WD hitches require a Class III hitch, which your Forester probably doesn't have.
I don't know about your trailer, but some trailer manufacturers prohibit the use of WD hitches (frame not sturdy enough).
And the smallest WD hitches on the market right now have a 400lb tongue weight capacity, probably be way too stiff for your application.

This being said, your rig and many other would probably benefit from a very small WD kit if there was some available on the market here.
For exemple, Hayman-Reese (Reese's Australian division) markets very lightweight WD hitches with 80 or 135 kg tongue weight capacity, that would be just perfect for small FG trailer rigs. Too bad we don't get these over here.
Mini - Mini - hayman reese

Reese USA used to sell a similar 220lbs-rated light duty WD hitch that would have been great, but it has been discontinued for about 10 years now. It was compatible with Class II hitches. They don't even make their 350-lbs rated 350Mini anymore, very popular with the popup trailer crowd (I own one). Even this one would be too stiff for a 13' FG egg I thing.

[KYBubblehead]

Originally Posted by JLF

Would you share with me the year of your 4Runner? I own a 2000 and have only a 5000lb tow rating and don't know of any higher rating for any 4Runner built after that.

We have an '04 V8.
7,000 lb AWD 7,300 RWD
I believe they stopped putting V8's in 4Runners in '05.

[The Minimalist]

Originally Posted by Tony M

I was reading about weight distribution hitches. Would using one of these be beneficial, towing a 13 footer with a 4 cylinder Forester, standard transmission, 175 lb. tongue weight, or is it unnecessary for my application? Also, in watching a video on this product it was stated that in some applications the battery and gas tank(s) may need to be relocated in order to hook up the bars. Does anyone have experience with weight distribution hitches? Tony

If you look in the towing section of your owners manual, you will find that it recommends against WDH.

Regards.

[steve dunham]

We tow our 17 ft Casita with a 1/2 ton fullsize truck and a WDH.
Our vehicle according to the owner's manual does not require a WDH for towing our trailer but for us it tows better with a WDH.
IMHO ,a WDH is not the solution for towing with an insufficient tow vehicle. All a WDH does is shift the weight from the vehicles rear axle to the vehicles front axle and the trailer axle. The weight does not just magically disappear. If your vehicle is rated to tow 2000 lbs
with 200 lbs of tongue weight then using a WDH does not allow you to tow 2500 lbs safely.

[Glenn Baglo]

My WDH weighs 68 lbs. all by itself.

[sokhapkin]

Originally Posted by steelypip

Pickup trucks and sport utes are much more profitable than sedans and wagons for manufacturers that make both...you figure it out.

The more I'm thinking about this, the more this seems to me as a myth. Cars are more profitable to a manufacturer.

[TomandCallie]

Originally Posted by sokhapkin

The more I'm thinking about this, the more this seems to me as a myth. Cars are more profitable to a manufacturer.

Nope, Steely is correct. Trucks and SUVs' are much more profitable.

[Byron Kinnaman]

I see a lot of people think they can compare European of the same model with American cars. I've said this before THEY ARE NOT THE SAME VEHICLE. For one just try and find a place to buy gasoline, it's difficult. They're all diesel, even the Austin Martin I looked at was diesel. So would imagine there's many more differences. So if you wish to compare apples and oranges OK, but they don't compare very well.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

I see a lot of people think they can compare European of the same model with American cars. I've said this before THEY ARE NOT THE SAME VEHICLE. For one just try and find a place to buy gasoline, it's difficult. They're all diesel, even the Austin Martin I looked at was diesel. So would imagine there's many more differences. So if you wish to compare apples and oranges OK, but they don't compare very well.

Even comparing apples to apples can be very subjective and depends on how you plan to consume them.
Let's face it... the least palatable apple ever grown is called "DELICIOUS!" (its like applesauce in a leather skin!)

[fieldphoto]

A little late to the discussion, but I thought I would contribute this article. I thought it explained the difference between UK and US tow ratings really well.

Tow me down!

[Bobbie Mayer]

I read that article. But out here- in the west- towing speeds are almost always 10 mph lower than max freeway speeds. On a recent trip the fastest speed while towing I saw posted was 60 mph. I stick to the posted towing speed limits because I've never felt it was safe to go faster. I know not everyone does (I got passed by plenty of huge rigs going max freeway speed in Oregon the other day) but unless tow limits are set so that you can ignore speed limits I don't think the article really explains the difference. Yes, it is safer to tow more at slower speeds. But we already knew that.

Towing at the posted speed limit with my 2012 Forester 5-speed, probably about 2000 lbs with a 200 lb tongue weight, I got 19-20 mpg and the rig was very stable. No sway even when passed by big tractor trailers. I took turns at posted speeds (yellow "warning" speeds) and was fine. The main thing I didn't like was when the roads were rougher as I got more bounce than I like- not sure why that was. (Happens with the Campster, too- especially through sections of 5 in Seattle/Fed Way area.) I don't think I'd go much over that weight, though- for one, unless I went over the tongue weight, I'd be getting a lower % (Subaru says 8-12% but I prefer at least 10%) and because even with manual transmission it would be harder to get a heavier trailer up steep hills. I see "even with manual" because I've driven both and the automatic (similar year) is much less peppy on hills.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

...But out here- in the west- towing speeds are almost always 10 mph lower than max freeway speeds...

Depends on whether you mean legal towing speeds, or actual towing speeds. In my corner of the West- Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah- legal towing speeds are the same as passenger vehicles, which is up to 75mph in Arizona.

However, in practice I have observed the vast majority of drivers pulling trailers have more sense than that, and 65mph is far more typical. Semis usually go somewhere between 65-70mph, even when the legal limit is higher. There are always a few in a big hurry, but they are the exception, not the rule.

Ironically, in California, where legal towing speeds are limited to 55mph, semis and RVs are going around 65mph (apparently with complete impunity). In other words, the strict towing law makes little perceptible difference in actual practice!

[Darwin Maring]

Towing specifications are there to do two things, 1 comply with government specifications and 2 To protect the company from law suites.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I mean legal towing speeds, which I have always assumed are there for a reason!